Hypertext is not a recofiguration of narrative but offers an alternative to it. Espen Aarseth (1997)


HyperNarratives – Reshaping Literary Traditions.


15 years ago the debate raged over the value of film studies in English, more recently the debate was about the inclusion of Reality Television shows. At present there is a new text on the block challenging our beloved novels, short stories, play scripts and poems – digital texts. The continued digitization of our world is reshaping traditional forms of literature and as lovers of the power of the English language we must embrace the opportunities this presents.
One emerging literary form reshaping traditional texts is HyperNarratives. These narratives lead readers through entwined plots using the humble hyperlink to offer additional information or differing perspectives. Despite appearing daunting and challenging when first encountered HyperNarratives are actually very easy to create and offer English students a rich playground to experiment in shaping imaginative narratives.

This introduction to HyperNarratives will give you an opportunity to get to know this emerging literary form a little better and see how it has found a place in the English curriculum at Chancellor State College.